"Percy XXXII," Grover read.
Still feeling drained, the readers had to strain focus on the new chapter.
We should've waited until after the last one before having a break. Percy thought with a sigh. But then again, the reason why they had that break in the first place was because of his other demigod dream.
Three demigod dreams with the last two being back-to-back nightmares... Percy inwardly groaned. If this wasn't used for saving the future, he would've tossed the book off Mount. Olympus by now.
UNDER DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES, wandering through Rome with Annabeth would have been pretty awesome. They held hands as they navigated the winding streets... The day warmed up quickly. Once they got away from the car exhaust on the main roads, the air smelled of baking bread and freshly cut flowers.
They aimed for the Colosseum because that was an easy landmark, but getting there proved harder than Percy anticipated... They found beautiful fountains and huge monuments by accident.
Despite the reason behind their walk, the Aphrodite girls swooned at the description.
How romantic! A semi-date! the goddess of love thought with a happy sigh, a small smile on her face.
How wonderful, Nico thought dryly. Annabeth gets to enjoy a scenic walk with Percy before her quest, meanwhile I'm stuck staring at the walls of a jar as I slowly suffocate.
Crossing his arms, Nico tried to push back his growing jealousy. As much as he hated it, Annabeth deserved a little bit of happiness before she goes to fight Arachne.
I shouldn't even be jealous, it's not normal. he angrily told himself. Nico gritted his teeth and played with his skull ring.
But if it's not normal... Why did no one react when Apollo called Narcissus 'hot'? a voice in his head said. Nico felt the floating sensation of hope again, before he stifled it.
What can they say? Apollo's a god. Anyone who disagreed with him would have been smote.
Nico hunched in on himself, trying not to think about the subject any further.
Percy listened to the story with a bitter taste in his mouth. This was going to be the last time him and Annabeth were going to be together before she goes on her quest. He had known this was going to happen for a while, and Annabeth kept reminding him that she had to do this alone, but it still came as a shock when it started to sink in that this was happening. After this thinly veiled attempt in normalcy, Annabeth was going to go on a mission that she might not come back from.
Stomach twisting itself in knots, Percy swallowed and tried to calm himself down. A part of him desperately wanted to try talking Annabeth out of it again. This is happening in the future! We have time to come up with a better plan! But even as he thought it, he knew it was hopeless. Once Annabeth had set her mind that she was going, there was no turning back. The best he could do is hope that Annabeth comes back in one piece.
Seeing her boyfriend's face pale, Annabeth worriedly placed a hand on his arm. "Are you ok?"
Percy shakily nodded his head. "Yeah," he croaked. "Fine."
He hoped he looked better than he sounded.
Knowing better, Annabeth's frown deepened but she didn't press him further.
Annabeth rubbed his arm in what she hoped was a comforting manner.
Annabeth commented on the architecture, Grover smiled as he read this line.
"Of course," Connor inserted with a grin.
"Even on a quest like this, Annabeth talks about buildings, and foundations, and ceilings," Travis teases.
The others snickered, trying not to think what was going to inevitably happen at the end of the chapter.
Annabeth rolled her eyes at his comment, but gave Percy a small grin.
Percy managed to return it with a small smile of his own, but it didn't reach his eyes. They were a murky sea-green, like the ocean on a gloomy night.
Annabeth's grin wavered, she turned her attention back to the book.
but Percy kept his eyes open for other things. Once he spotted a glowing purple ghost—a Lar—glaring at them from the window of an apartment building. Another time he saw a white-robed woman—maybe a nymph or a goddess—holding a wicked- looking knife, slipping between ruined columns in a public park.
"Wonder who that was..." Hermes mused.
"Whoever she was, I don't think she's friendly," Will remarked with a frown.
"I don't think any of them are friendly," Nico agreed, forcing his attention on the reading. "They probably sense that they're Greek."
Nothing attacked them, but Percy felt like they were being watched...
The readers stiffened.
"Great," Annabeth said grimly, squeezing her necklace.
"It could just be watching," Katie tried to soothe.
"Yeah, but we don't know why they're watching or when that'd change." she replied, still troubled. Or if they're working for Gaea...
For all she knew, the goddess could be spying on them right now, laughing as Annabeth walked closer and closer to her doom.
With a shiver, the daughter of Athena pushed the thought aside.
...They made their way west, stopping every once in a while to ask directions to the river. Percy hadn't considered that—duh—people in Italy spoke Italian, while he did not.
Nico snorted a laugh as the other demigods snickered.
"It's not like I ever had time to learn," Percy said in an attempt to sound upbeat.
"I'll teach you a couple phrases," the son of Hades promised. Percy gave him a strained smile, Nico tried to ignore how his heart skipped a beat. The son of Hades purposely looked away from Percy's eyes. "But you should be fine. This part of Italy is used to American tourists, there should be someone who can speak English."
As it turned out, though, that wasn't much of a problem. The few times someone approached them on the street and asked a question, Percy just looked at them in confusion, and they switched to English.
Nico nodded his head. "See?"
"That's a relief," Percy said shortly.
Next discovery: the Italians used euros, and Percy didn't have any.
The demigods laughed.
"Man, Percy, you were really underprepared for this trip." Connor remarked, grinning.
Annabeth frowned in bewilderment. "I get how not knowing Italian would be an issue, but why is money a problem? All we're doing is walking to the Tiber River."
He regretted this as soon as he found a tourist shop that sold sodas.
Annabeth snorted and playfully rolled her eyes.
"Of course," she inserted, mimicking the tone Connor had used before.
"It's a long walk," Percy said in mock offense. He suddenly frowned. "How far is this river anyway?"
Hermes scratched his head. "Can't say for sure with just the description and no street names."
By then it was almost noon, getting really hot, and Percy was starting to wish he had a trireme filled with Diet Coke.
"Where's Piper's cornucopia when you need it?" Travis joked.
Annabeth solved the problem. She dug around in her backpack, brought out Daedalus's laptop, and typed in a few commands. A plastic card ejected from a slot in the side.
Annabeth waved it triumphantly. "International credit card. For emergencies."'
Percy and some of the other demigods blinked in surprise.
How does that work? the son of Poseidon wondered.
The Stolls and Aphrodite girls listened in excitement.
"How many of those cards can the computer make?" Travis eagerly asked.
"And is there a limit to how much things we can buy?" someone from Cabin Ten spoke up, earning a glare from the daughter of Athena.
"Only for emergencies," Annabeth clarified. "Not for shopping sprees. All the unfinished blueprints, notes, and completed projects are at least fifty years ahead of its time. Daedalus trusted me with this laptop, I can't abuse its wealth of knowledge." Her pride was evident in her voice.
"You're going to use your credit card to buy Percy a soda, I hardly call that an emergency." one Aphrodite girl pointed out, causing Annabeth's ears to turn pink. "I can think of better ways to use it."
"Yeah, like a pool for the Hermes Cabin, an air conditioner, our own Ferrari," Travis listed off.
"Things that are harder to get with a five-finger discount." Connor explained, wiggling his fingers.
"Okay," Annabeth tried, letting out a sigh. "There's a difference between splurging and being resourceful. Buying something like a Ferrari, is anything but resourceful."
"Nah, it'd make the perfect get-away car." Travis said dismissively. "Fast and fashionable. What better way to leave the scene of the crime than in style?"
The Aphrodite girl who spoke earlier beamed at him. "That'd be pretty cool."
"Just like the movies!" another Aphrodite child spoke up.
"Wouldn't that..." Annabeth trailed off before shaking her head. "You're impossible."
Percy stared at her in amazement. "How did you—? No. Never mind. I don't want to know. Just keep being awesome."
Annabeth smiled as Aphrodite cooed.
"Aaaww," Lacy said, smiling from ear to ear. "That's cute!"
The sodas helped, but they were still hot and tired by the time they arrived at the Tiber River...
The Tiber itself was wide, lazy, and caramel-colored. A few tall cypress trees hung over the banks. The nearest bridge looked fairly new, made from iron girders, but right next to it stood a crumbling line of stone arches that stopped halfway across the river—ruins that might've been left over from the days of the Caesars.
Annabeth took in the description, visualizing in her head the dazzling view.
After the quest was over, she really needed to go back there and explore Italy. No monsters, no Great Prophecies, a complete get-away.
Maybe Percy and the others would go. she thought, thinking back to Percy's earlier suggestion. That would be amazing.
The other demigods, meanwhile, were listening for any clues on where the river god might be.
"Okay, you're here, but how are you going to find him?" Travis frowned. "Is Tiberinus going to be walking around somewhere? Do you have to flip a coin in the river to summon him?"
"No nothing like that," Aphrodite said, amused. "He and his wife, Rhea, are around somewhere. They're probably going on another romantic walk, getting lost in each other's eyes." the goddess giggled. "They're so cute together!"
The demigods looked up at her in surprise.
"Rhea?" Percy repeated in disbelief, thinking back to what he knew about Greek mythology. "As in the mom of the six elder Olympians?"
"A common mistake," Aphrodite waved off. "She is Rhea Silvia, a descendant of mine, and the mother of Romulus and Remus. Romulus being the Founder of Rome," she added proudly.
The goddess couldn't help but feel excited towards the possibility of reading about her descendant. Ever since coming to the United States, she hadn't heard much about Rhea or her husband besides them helping children of Athena recover the Athena Parthenos, it would be nice to hear how her happy ending with Tiberinus is going.
[Annabeth]..."I recognize that from the map. But what do we do now?"
Hearing the we, Percy felt a bit better knowing that they still had some time left together, but his eyebrows furrowed, indecisive on what to do next.
"Well, Aphrodite said that he and Rhea might be walking around somewhere," he reflected. "I guess it wouldn't hurt to walk around the river."
Annabeth nodded along in agreement. "Right, they can't be too far away."
Percy was glad she had said we. He didn't want to leave her yet. In fact, he wasn't sure he could make himself do it when the time came.
Annabeth suppressed the urge to sigh.
Gaea's words came back to him: Will you fall alone?
Percy tensed, scowling. I'm not falling at all, Dirt Queen.
He stared at the river, wondering how they could make contact with the god Tiberinus. He didn't really want to jump in. The Tiber didn't look much cleaner than the East River back home, where he'd had too many encounters with grouchy river spirits.
"I think I know what you mean," Lacy said, grimacing as she thought about Achelous.
"They can be moody," Poseidon admitted after consideration.
"As if you're the one to talk," Zeus grumbled, rolling his eyes.
He gestured to a nearby café with tables overlooking the water.
Thinking Percy was going to suggest to search for Tiberinus there, Annabeth nodded her head approvingly. "Good idea, he and Rhea might be there on a date."
"It's about lunchtime. How about we try your credit card again?"
Will scowled disapprovingly. He understood why Percy would want to spend as much time with Annabeth as possible, he really did, but did he have to do it when they're on a time limit?
Nico clenched his hands into fists, gnashing his teeth together. The walk, he could force himself to stomach, but a romantic walk with a lunch date too? Did his dilemma mean that little to him that Percy wanted to have lunch while Nico was slowly losing his life. He might not even have time to begin with.
Annabeth blinked in disbelief before turning to Percy who looked equally surprised by his statement.
"You want to eat now?" she said, raising her eyebrows. "We still have things to do," she glanced at the son of Hades (wincing at the glare he was giving them) before saying in a lower voice. "Nico might not have as much time as we think..."
Percy winced at that. Feeling guilty, he purposely avoided meeting Nico's eyes as he muttered to her: "Yeah, I'm really pushing it here. I don't know why I thought it was a good idea."
He said that but he wasn't being completely honest with his answer. He knew exactly why Future Percy suggested what he did. He wanted to stall as much as he could and have one last normal moment with Annabeth before she had to go. It was an idea Percy would've agreed with, if it wasn't at the expense of his friends, especially Nico. He was dying for gods' sakes and his friends were counting on Percy to help rescue him, but instead of doing that, he wanted to go out to eat with Annabeth.
This was supposed to be a go-in-go-out mission, helping Annabeth in any way he could before she would inevitably leave, but now that he's doing it, Future Percy was wasting everyone's time.
Percy grimaced, feeling ashamed. He thought back to Athena talking about how Personal Loyalty was his fatal flaw, and now he was starting to understand that it wouldn't just cause his own downfall, but the downfall of the very people he cared about without him even noticing. Sure having a quick lunch with Annabeth sounded like the perfect thing to do before seeing her off, but not when every second counted towards saving Nico's life. He should've known better, what was he thinking?
"I'm sorry, Nico. I promise we'll find you before it's too late." Percy swore, meeting Nico's eyes.
Nico took a long look at him before sighing and turning his head.
"I hope so," he responded, twisting his ring.
Even though it was noon, the place was empty.
"So much for Rhea and Tiberinus being here..." Percy sighed.
"Where can they be?" Annabeth muttered, glaring at the book. And how long will it take to find them?
She couldn't help but feel annoyed that her Future-self went along with this. They had things to do. They hadn't been this irresponsible since the Lotus Casino, they were better than this! Future Annabeth should've talked some sense into Percy, not walked in to see what was on the menu! She gets why her future-self would want to hold on to this moment as long as possible, but they didn't have time!
Annabeth drummed her fingers on her knee.
They picked a table outside by the river, and a waiter hurried over.
If Leo and the others find where Nico is, they can always Iris-Message him. Annabeth tried to reason with herself as she thought about how long the food preparation would take. Worst case scenario we run out of the café without paying.
She struggled not to think about the even worse situation. Nico dying. Rome falling. Gaea and the giants taking over the world with Camp Half-Blood being a barr-
She forced herself to focus on the reading.
He looked a bit surprised to see them—especially when they said they wanted lunch.
"You and me both." Percy said flatly, crossing his arms.
"American?" he asked, with a pained smile.
"Yes," Annabeth said.
"And I'd love a pizza," Percy said.
This earned a few snickers from the readers.
Will didn't look impressed.
"Pizza again? If you're going to eat here, can you order something healthier than that? A Caesar Salad? Anything?" the son of Apollo complained.
"Of course not, I can't miss the chance to eat real pizza in Italy!" Percy argued, forcing a grin. This earned an eye roll from Will and more soft laughter from the others.
The waiter looked like he was trying to swallow a euro coin. "Of course you would, signor. And let me guess: a Coca-Cola? With ice?"
"Sounds about right," Percy nodded his head.
Will grumbled to himself.
...Annabeth ordered a panini and some fizzy water. After the waiter left, she smiled at Percy...
They held hands across the table. Percy was content just to look at Annabeth in the sunlight.
The girls from the Aphrodite Cabin giggled.
Aphrodite rested her head in her hand and happily sighed.
It always made her hair so bright and warm. Her eyes took on the colors of the sky and the cobblestones, alternately brown or blue.
"This is so adorable!" Aphrodite smiled. Her children were giggling, eagerly whispering and pushing each other around.
Nico rested a hand on his forehead, eye-twitching as Grover kept reading.
Is the chapter over yet? he thought.
He wondered if he should tell Annabeth his dream about Gaea destroying Camp Half-Blood.
Everyone grimaced at the reminder.
"You might as well do it now that we're waiting for the food." Annabeth sighed, wondering how long does it take to make a panini.
He decided against it.
Annabeth's eyes widened in disbelief and hurt, even the other demigods were stunned by Percy's decision.
"What?" she exclaimed. "Why?"
She didn't need anything else to worry about—not with what she was facing.
With a scowl, she snapped her head in Percy's direction.
"Just because I have a lot on my plate right now, doesn't mean you shouldn't tell me." Annabeth told him. "Gaea spoke to you and threatened the safety of the camp!" the demigods winced at that. "I should know more about who we're up against."
"Just like how we should've known about the last demigod dream," Leo muttered to himself, playing with his jacket buttons. As much as he wanted to point out the irony in her statement, he didn't feel like arguing. This chapter was already awkward enough for him to listen to with it leading up to Annabeth and Percy falling in Tartarus.
But it made him wonder...what would have happened if they hadn't scared off Chrysaor's pirates?
Some of the readers winced .
"Can we think about something else?" Leo fidgeted.
"I know, can we just be happy that it didn't happen?" Lacy whimpered.
Percy and Annabeth would've been put in chains and taken to Gaea's minions. Their blood would have been spilled on ancient stones.
Poseidon and Athena winced.
Annabeth tensed and bit her lip.
Percy suppressed a shudder. He wished he knew where his future-self was going with this.
Percy guessed that meant they would've been taken to Greece for some big horrible sacrifice.
"That's why they wanted us alive," Annabeth unhappily reminded, crossing her arms.
But Annabeth and he had been in plenty of bad situations together. They could've figured out an escape plan, saved the day...and Annabeth wouldn't be facing this solo quest in Rome.
Percy couldn't believe he was honestly thinking this. This couldn't be right, it sounded like for a moment he actually wished Chrysaor had captured them, but that can't be true. His friends would have been sold into a life of slavery under Circe (Chrysaor had mentioned being a trainee as the other option, but let's face it, it was just enslavement with a fancy title), fed to Cyclops, or worse. Annabeth was still going to try to follow the Mark of Athena no matter what the outcome from this was. He couldn't be actually wanting this to happen only to prolong Annabeth's quest, could he? No. No. His loyalty wasn't that bad.
Annabeth frowned. We can, but how would we be able to find our friends?
It doesn't matter when you fall, Gaea had said.
Percy knew it was a horrible wish, but he almost regretted that they hadn't been captured at sea. At least Annabeth and he would've been together.
Percy openly gawked at the book as the demigods looked at him in shock.
"And that is why Personal Loyalty is a fatal flaw." Athena announced, sounding like a professor concluding a lesson.
That seemed to snap Percy out of his mortified daze because he turned to look at the goddess with wide eyes before hastily assuring his friends.
"I don't actually want this to happen! I don't know why I would say something like so... so... horrible! I don't regret not being captured, I swear! I-"
"Dude, it's fine." Grover interrupted as gently as he could. "You saved them, remember?"
"We know you're not that type of person." Annabeth reached out and squeezed his hand.
After getting over their initial shock, the other demigods voiced their agreements.
Percy relaxed a bit at their words, giving everyone a strained smile.
"Thanks guys,"
"You shouldn't feel ashamed," Annabeth said. "You're thinking about Chrysaor, aren't you? Swords can't solve every problem. You saved us in the end."
Yeah, and I'll do it again. he reminded himself.
In spite of himself, Percy smiled. "How do you do that? You always know what I'm thinking."
"I know you," she said.
Aphrodite giggled. "You make it sound so obvious!"
"Well, we've known each other for four years," Annabeth shrugged. "We should know a lot about each other at this point."
And you like me anyway? Percy wanted to ask, but he held it back.
The demigods laughed.
"Yeah, I do." Annabeth stated. She said it so a-matter-of-factly that Percy felt his face blush.
Aphrodite squealed at that, her daughters following her lead.
Nico huffed.
"Percy," she said, "you can't carry the weight of this whole quest. It's impossible. That's why there are seven of us.
Not looking up from his tinkering, Leo nodded along.
Percy's expression became more serious.
And you'll have to let me search for the Athena Parthenos on my own."
Percy's heart clenched. He bit his lip and fidgeted.
"I can do this," Annabeth said firmly, squeezing his hand again.
"I know you can, it's just..." he trailed off, staring down at his shoes.
"Me going alone?" she guessed, earning a reluctant nod. Annabeth sighed. It was hard on everyone, herself included, but Percy was taking this the hardest.
"I missed you," he confessed. "For months. A huge chunk of our lives was taken away. If I lost you again—"
Annabeth's expression softened.
"You won't," she swore to her boyfriend, giving him a kiss on the cheek.
"We don't know that for sure," Percy countered suddenly looking as exhausted as he felt. "And that's what worries me. You're going to go on this quest, alone, and if anything goes wrong, I won't know about it until it's too late."
Annabeth's face fell in understanding. She felt something similar when she found out Percy was at Camp Jupiter without any memories. She wanted to provide him some form of comfort, something to ease the pain, but she knew he would never be fully satisfied until he knew if she survived and found her mother's statue.
Suddenly, an idea came to mind.
Leo! She wanted to smack herself for not thinking of it sooner. Of course! He would know what was going to happen and be able to put everyone at ease.
She eagerly turned to the son of Hephaestus. "Le-"
Annabeth hesitated when she took in Leo's posture.
His body was tense and hunched over, tinkering with something he probably found in his tool belt or pockets. His eyes were trained on the object in his hands, but he would occasionally glance up, eyes shifting around. When they landed on Annabeth, he quickly looked away and hunched in on himself further.
Annabeth's frown deepened.
He was hiding something, that much was obvious, but what? Annabeth's eyebrows furrowed.
Now that she thought of it, he was being oddly quiet during this chapter, was something going to happen with Tiberinus and Rhea, or on her quest?
Annabeth grimaced, worse case scenarios flashing in her head. As much as she wanted to confront Leo on his strange behavior, she hesitated, unsure if now was the right time. Everyone was already on edge with her quest, especially Percy. If he told her in front of everyone that the slightest thing went wrong on this quest, they would never let her out of their sight.
For now, crossing her arms, Annabeth decided to wait for the right moment to ask.
Lunch arrived. The waiter looked much calmer. Having accepted the fact that they were clueless Americans, he had apparently decided to forgive them and treat them politely.
"Gee thanks," Percy said flatly, with his free hand, he brushed his hair back.
"It is a beautiful view," he said, nodding toward the river. "Enjoy, please."
Once he left, they ate in silence. The pizza was a bland, doughy square with not a lot of cheese.
Great, first Annabeth, now bland pizza. Percy thought miserably. I guess this is why only the tourists order them...
..."You'll have to trust me," Annabeth said. Percy almost thought she was talking to her sandwich, because she didn't meet his eyes. "You've got to believe I'll come back."
"I'll try..." Percy sighed.
Annabeth gave him a strained smile.
"That's all I ask." she told him, every now and then she would glance back at Leo, gauging his reaction.
Nothing yet.
He swallowed another bite. "I believe in you. That's not the problem. But come back from where?"
The readers grimaced.
Gods, why does this book have so much foreshadowing? Leo shuddered, face paling. He squeezed his pipe cleaners tighter in his hand. He couldn't help but glance at Annabeth and Percy before quickly looking away, when he saw Annabeth staring at him again. Why was she looking at him like that? He wasn't doing anything! He hastily continued working on his pipe cleaners.
There. Annabeth frowned. Something that Percy said had caused a different reaction. But the only thing that stood out was-
'But come back from where?'
Annabeth's eyes slowly widened in horror.
There's only one place she could possibly go.
She gasped to herself, face visibly paling and her hands going clammy. Annabeth quickly let go of Percy's hand, in favor of tightly clasping hers together.
No, that's not possible. She thought with a shudder. Annabeth forced herself to calm down before she could panic further. You're jumping to conclusions. If you ever fell in Tartarus, you'd be good as dead, and there's no way in Hades Leo would have been able to keep that a secret. He's terrible at secrets.
Annabeth took a deep breath and let it out, relaxing her body, only now noticing Percy's look of concern.
That's right, she told herself, choosing to ignore the feeling of unease. I couldn't have fallen in Tartarus, I'm too careful. If anything, I'd be sending, Arachne down there. She took another deep breath, trying to slow her racing heart. I have to be wrong, Leo must be nervous about something else. Maybe the 'where' is the cavern that the statue is in, or maybe I found an exit that leads me to the other side of the world. She ignored the sinking feeling of dread, but couldn't stop the shudder even if she tried. I'm jumping to conclusions. I'm wrong.
She suddenly didn't want to know why Leo was reacting the way he was, much less ask. Annabeth knew she was wrong, she had to be and she didn't see the point in having the son of Hephaestus confirm that.
She slumped in her chair, expression somber as she thought about her quest.
The sound of a Vespa interrupted them.
Everyone (except Annabeth) didn't think much of the noise, they were just waiting for the daughter of Athena's response.
Percy looked along the riverfront and did a double take. The motor scooter was an old-fashioned model: big and baby blue. The driver was a guy in a silky gray suit. Behind him sat a younger woman with a headscarf, her hands around the man's waist. They weaved between café tables and puttered to a stop next to Percy and Annabeth.
The demigods frowned in confusion.
Hestia and Aphrodite perked up a bit.
This sounds... oddly familiar... Hestia frowned, giving her hearth a thoughtful prob.
"Why, hello," the man said. His voice was deep, almost croaky, like a movie actor's. His hair was short and greased back from his craggy face. He was handsome in a 1950s dad-on-television way. Even his clothes seemed old-fashioned. When he stepped off his bike, the waistline of his slacks was way higher than normal, but somehow he still managed to look manly and stylish and not like a total goober. Percy had trouble guessing his age—maybe thirty-something, though the man's fashion and manner seemed grandfatherish.
Now the demigods were exchanging bewildered expressions.
Connor's eyebrows furrowed.
"Who-" he began, only to be cut off by an excited gasp from the hearth in the corner.
"Gregory Peck!" Hestia exclaimed. "That's who it is!"
She looked around the room, eager to see some recognition from the teens.
Katie tilted her head.
"I think I've heard of that name before..." she offered, earning a hopeful smile from the goddess. Now not wanting to disappoint her, Katie racked her brain for the name of the movie. "We watched it in class... To Kill a Mockingbird? I think?"
"Right!" Hestia said happily, much to Katie's relief. "That's one of his most notable films. He also did Roman Holiday-"
Her face suddenly lit up like the hearth she was tending. "Is that why this person has taking Peck's appearance? To reference the movie? That is so creative! The woman must be Audrey Hepburn!"
Too bad we probably didn't get it... Percy silently frowned.
The woman slid off the bike. "We've had the most lovely morning," she said breathlessly.
She looked about twenty-one, also dressed in an old-fashioned style. Her ankle-length marigold skirt and white blouse were pinched together with a large leather belt, giving her the narrowest waist Percy had ever seen. When she removed her scarf, her short wavy black hair bounced into perfect shape. She had dark playful eyes and a brilliant smile. Percy had seen naiads that looked less pixieish than this lady.
Hestia looked estatic.
"Just like the movie," she muttered to herself.
Having an idea who these two are, Aphrodite was smiling from ear to ear.
Princess Anne and Joe Bradley, such unique forms to chose. the goddess of love thought. She was amused that her descendant, a daughter of a king, choose the form of an actress who played a princess.
Annabeth's sandwich fell out of her hands. "Oh, gods. How—how... ?"
She seemed so stunned that Percy figured he ought to know these two.
Confused, Percy turned to Annabeth.
"You know these two?" he asked his girlfriend.
Annabeth seemed to not hear him. It was then he noticed that Annabeth was holding her necklace and staring at the wall across from them with a faraway expression on her face.
Percy raised an eyebrow. "Annabeth?"
No response.
He shook her arm. "Wise Girl,"
She startled out of her thought process. "Yes?"
"Are you okay?" he asked, taking in her features. She was still a little pale from before, but the color was coming back to her face. She crossed her arms, looking more closed off than she had at the beginning of the chapter.
Annabeth hesitated before sighing. "Fine, just... thinking about... the quest, that's all."
Percy's face fell.
"Oh," he said understandingly. He comfortingly slung his arm over her shoulders and pulled Annabeth close. He knew it wasn't much, but he hoped it helped.
Annabeth silently leaned her head on his shoulder.
"You guys do look familiar," he decided...he pointed at the guy and took a guess. "Are you that guy on Mad Men?"
Hestia frowned, eyebrows furrowing. "What kind of movie is that?"
"It's a television show about advertising firms," Hermes explained, he chuckled as he saw the flash of disinterest on her face. "You should give it a try, you might like it, the show is based off of advertising in the 60's."
"Maybe," she humored. Hestia wasn't much of a television person (it was more time-consuming than movies), so she doubted she'd actually take time to watch it, but she wasn't going to blatantly turn down Hermes' suggestion.
"Percy!" Annabeth looked horrified.
"What?" he protested. "I don't watch a lot of TV."
"That's Gregory Peck!" Annabeth's eyes were wide, and her mouth kept falling open. "And...oh gods! Audrey Hepburn! I know this movie. Roman Holiday. But that was from the 1950s. How—?"
"How do you know that?" Connor asked the daughter of Athena. He worriedly frowned as he took in Annabeth's appearance. He wasn't entirely surprised by how she look, this was the start of her quest.
Annabeth tiredly shrugged. "Watched Roman Holiday with my dad. It's his favorite movie."
She normally would've smiled at how much her dad loved sappy romantic comedies, but right now she couldn't muster a grin.
"He has excellent taste," Hestia said with a decisive nod, she silently noted how exhausted Annabeth looked.
"Oh, my dear!" The woman twirled like an air spirit and sat down at their table. "I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone else! My name is Rhea Silvia. I was the mother to Romulus and Remus, thousands of years ago. But you're so kind to think I look as young as the 1950s. And this is my husband..."
"Tiberinus," said Gregory Peck, thrusting out his hand to Percy in a manly way. "God of the River Tiber."
Percy shook his hand. The guy smelled of aftershave. Of course, if Percy were the Tiber River, he'd probably want to mask the smell with cologne too.
The demigods laughed.
"If it's anything like the East River in New York, you're better off using the whole bottle!" Travis joked.
"That's the only time it's allowed." Katie agreed.
"Uh, hi," Percy said. "Do you two always look like American movie stars?"
"Do we?" Tiberinus frowned and studied his clothes. "I'm not sure, actually.
Hestia and Aphrodite were a bit put out that their forms were not intentional.
The migration of Western civilization goes both ways, you know. Rome affected the world, but the world also affects Rome. There does seem to be a lot of American influence lately. I've rather lost track over the centuries."
"Okay," Percy said. "But...you're here to help?"
"My naiads told me you two were here." Tiberinus cast his dark eyes toward Annabeth.
"You have the map, my dear? And your letter of introduction?"
The demigods stiffened in anticipation.
The gods looked remorseful with Annabeth's plight except Hera and Athena.
The only thing Hera regretted was that a member of the Seven was going to die on this quest, Athena however was beaming at her daughter with expectancy that Annabeth fidgeted under.
Annnabeth felt sick, under the stares and swarming thoughts. She tried to ignore the way her stomach was twisting itself in knots, sat up straight, and squared her shoulders.
She tried to put a brave face on as Grover picked up where he left off.
"Uh..." Annabeth handed him the letter and the disk of bronze.
Annabeth faltered a bit.
Great choice of words, Annabeth. I can see why Athena would choose you for this quest. she thought, resisting the urge to roll her eyes. She resumed her former position.
She was staring at the river god so intently Percy started to feel jealous.
Aphrodite and her children couldn't help but giggle.
Annabeth couldn't help but turn to him incredulously.
"Of who? Grandpa?" she said in disbelief. The others laughed at Percy's embarrassment as the boy sheepishly smiled.
Annabeth sighed and playfully rolled her eyes, bumping her shoulder against his.
"Com'on Seaweed Brain, you should know by now he's not my type." For the first time in a while, Annabeth genuinely smiled and even though he could die from embarrassment, Percy smiled back.
"S-so..." she stammered, "you've helped other children of Athena with this quest?"
"Oh, my dear!" The pretty lady, Rhea Silvia, put her hand on Annabeth's shoulder. "Tiberinus is ever so helpful. He saved my children Romulus and Remus, you know, and brought them to the wolf goddess Lupa. Later, when that old king Numen tried to kill me, Tiberinus took pity on me and made me his wife. I've been ruling the river kingdom at his side ever since. He's just dreamy!"
Aphrodite nodded her head in approval. He was a good match for her Rhea.
"Thank you, my dear," Tiberinus said with a wry smile. "And, yes, Annabeth Chase, I've helped many of your siblings...to at least begin their journey safely. A shame all of them died painfully later on.
The demigods collectively winced.
Athena looked like she had been slapped. She opened her mouth to say something in rebuttal, but couldn't find the words.
Well, your documents seem in order. We should get going. The Mark of Athena awaits!"
Percy felt his face pale. He grabbed Annabeth's hand and gave it a squeeze.
Said girl winced at the tight vice-grip, but didn't comment. Even if she wanted to, Annabeth wasn't sure what she should tell him at the moment.
The demigods grimaced, all wishing there was something more they could do to help her.
[Percy]... "Tiberinus, let me go with her. Just a little farther."
Annabeth bit back a sigh, unsurprised by Percy's actions.
Rhea Silvia laughed sweetly. "But you can't, silly boy. You must return to your ship and gather your other friends. Confront the giants! The way will appear in your friend Piper's knife. Annabeth has a different path. She must walk alone."
"Indeed," Tiberinus said. "Annabeth must face the guardian of the shrine by herself. It is the only way. And Percy Jackson, you have less time than you realized to rescue your friend in the jar. You must hurry."
If possible, the mood in the room became worse after hearing this.
Percy's face fell. Great, just what we were afraid of. I just had to stop for 'pizza'.
Percy's pizza felt like a cement lump in his stomach. "But—"
"It's all right, Percy." Annabeth squeezed his hand. "I need to do this."
He started to protest. Her expression stopped him. She was terrified but doing her best to hide it—for his sake. If he tried to argue, he would only make things harder for her. Or worse, he might convince her to stay. Then she would have to live with the knowledge that she'd backed down from her biggest challenge...assuming that they survived at all, with Rome about to get leveled and Gaea about to rise and destroy the world.
"Okay, okay, we get it," Connor said hurriedly, fidgeting anxiously.
The Athena statue held the key to defeating the giants. Percy didn't know why or how, but Annabeth was the only one who could find it.
Annabeth solemnly nodded her head.
"You're right," he said, forcing out the words. "Be safe."
"Please," Percy begged.
Annabeth's traitorous mind thought about Tartarus again, and she suppressed a shiver.
"I'll try." she said.
Rhea Silvia giggled like it was a ridiculous comment. "Safe? Not at all! But necessary.
"Did you really have to say that?" Percy complained.
Come, Annabeth, my dear. We will show you where your path starts. After that, you're on your own."
Annabeth kissed Percy. She hesitated, like she was wondering what else to say. Then she shouldered her backpack and climbed on the back of the scooter.
Percy hated it. He would've preferred to fight any monster in the world. He would've preferred a rematch with Chrysaor. But he forced himself to stay in his chair and watch as Annabeth motored off through the streets of Rome with Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn.
"Finished." Grover said, earning sighs of relief.
"Thank the gods," Mitchell said, resting his head in his hands.
"The Lost Hero was so much easier to get through than this," Chris muttered.
For a moment, still processing the information they had, The readers were quiet, occasionally talking amongst themselves on what they just read. They prolonged going back to reading as long as they could before Thalia volunteered to read.
"Let's just get this over with..." she said as a few of the others groaned in protest.
"Annabeth XXXIII," Thalia read.
Everyone tensed, unsure what to expect next.